Dr. Dias received her doctorate in Social/Health Psychology from SUNY at Stony Brook. Her research focuses on evaluating the psychological and behavioral aspects of health and illness, particularly relating to maternal and child health. Currently, she is a faculty member in the Division of Epidemiology, and serves as Study Coordinator for a multi-center, longitudinal study of myopia in children. This has enabled her to examine the self-esteem of these participants over time, as well as to investigate the reasons that promote long-term participation in clinical studies. Besides conducting research and teaching medical students, Dr. Dias is also interested in promoting health literacy and using research to inform policy and practice.